SHR6E037P~002 PIE22083025 live Music Management event evaluation

Event evaluation

My experience promoting ‘Smoother Sounds’ at ‘The Attic’ in Leeds was both inspiring and impactful, especially as a classical musician new to promoting live music events. ‘Smoother Sounds’ offered all performers with an exciting opportunity to showcase their Instrumental talents across an eclectic range of genres including jazz, pop, and reggae.

Event atmosphere:

The event achieved an uplifting and joyful atmosphere, largely due to the curation of four contrasting setlists. Each transferring a sense of momentum to the audience in an intimate and inviting performance space. This was amplified by a range of sofas and aesthetic lights situated across from the stage making it accessible for guests and musicians to sit or move about at their own leisure, while being able to socialise in-between songs. Sound acoustics were clearly maintained from the beginning, as I swapped roles from promoting to performing backing vocals on stage complimenting the opening act of ‘Jah Glory’. This highlighted a sense of unity and friendship within our group, allowing energy and enjoyment to resonate with the audience, who actively joined in and had fun. Moving on from the catchy Reggae classics, the focus shifted to the grand piano. This was complimented by pop vocals and drums, endorsing the audience into a new sound world. Overall, the performance demonstrated a high amount of expertise and commitment, particularly when the percussionist offered to step in at short notice.

The venue staff were very polite and welcoming, keeping us hydrated and fueled and providing a well-stocked bar. The overall atmosphere was clarified well, with lots of audience participation. On another occasion, higher audience numbers will be at our advantage to fill up the room, meaning energy can be maintained even more to the end.

Production:

Safe and effective sound procedures were fulfilled as I took informed the musicians of the running order in advance and provided an approximate estimate of their allocated sound check time, in order to effectively assess the overall event production running time. This was imperative in allowing each band to have an equal stage presence.

Initially, the order of events was planned for three groups. Although a slight alteration occurred as piano and vocals duo (The Tangerines) was added to the program a few days before. This worked in our favour, as incorporating an additional genre of music immersed the audience in an eclectic range of sounds, supported by still lighting that carefully reflected the mood and style of the duo. Effective communication was demonstrated by the production team via headsets ensuring that clear instructions were given on the night in a loud environment. For future reference, it will be beneficial to build my awareness of how sound and lighting desks work, effectively articulating specific lighting and sound requirements, and develop my knowledge for any potential music events I manage. The stage production element was optimised with the stage layout providing equal visibility between performers and audience. This was successfully demonstrated by positioning the lead vocalist and solo act centre stage, surrounded by other members of the band.

Artist’s liaison:

I took responsibility for contacting potential musicians willing to take part in our collaborative event. At first, I recognised the advantage of enquiring directly in the conservatoire, which proved to be helpful as I could provide key event and venue details first-hand and was easy to contact if more information was required. Initially, I spoke to Ellis, a classical pianist, to check his availability and discuss any relevant repertoire he could play. This corresponded well with incorporating the venue’s house Instrumentation. However, a few weeks later I found out that Ellis was unable to perform, and we reassessed how the grand piano could still feature. I got in touch with Simeon Lord, band leader of Jazz ‘Quintet – ‘The Nightingales’, who later featured as our headline act. I had a great experience singing alongside his band in June 2025, during which his professional and engaging performance inspired me to find out more about his musical talent.

I also contacted Isaac Aylward, a final year singer/songwriter, who composes songs across a mixture of genres; including pop, blues, jazz, comedy, and folk. To compliment Isaac’s performance, we welcomed the Caribbean influence of the reggae band ‘Jah Glory’. Luckily, lead vocalist Alistair was also promoting the event too, meaning it was easy to communicate with him during and outside of conservatoire studies. I utilised my time well as artist liaison, as I had the opportunity to evaluate the event from a performance perspective organising rehearsals. I realised the importance of maintaining effective communication via text message alongside in person conversations. This was evidenced on the event day, when we had arranged to meet the musicians at the venue at 4pm. Due to circumstances, it was considerably later. To prevent this from happening on future occasions, I would recommend that the promoters try to keep the day as free as possible, allowing us to meet sooner to discuss any queries prior to setting up. Overall, the enjoyment of bringing like-minded musicians together was crucial in building trust and reliability.

Box office:

A designated box office for any potential walk-ins. It was clearly situated and signposted by the entrance with a board outlining: ‘Smoother Sounds’ as a captivating slogan including the ticket price, time of door opening and curfew, and most importantly a clear running order. Providing short and concise points was crucial in generating interest and attention as an effective way of marketing, ensuring everyone felt welcome. As portrayed in the settlement below, we can see that sixteen tickets were purchased on the door, one of which was paid for by cash. Ideally, more cash payments would have been preferred as we had no access to a card machine. We investigated accessing the online card reader provider Sum Up, but the completion of security questions was timely and potentially invasive to audience members wanting to complete a simple transaction. For future events, I would research support mechanisms in advance regarding setting up an online payment system and the cost of doing so, as we see less cash being used and it is a more effective form of payment. However, we were able to offer the payment option of bank transfer. Alternatively, it will be necessary to extend the website booking duration for longer, so people can have access to a payment link.

Online marketing:

We created a Facebook page and an Instagram profile. Firstly, to capture interest, a short and catchy bio was featured. “Smoother Sounds: An evening of entertainment showcasing Leeds Conservatoire musicians on the 9th of March 2026”! This meant that viewers had a clear description of the style of our event prior to any post uploads. An effective method of promotion including combining behind the scenes posts offering key facts about our artists alongside musical ambitions and highlights about performing at gigs. Lily and I filmed a Q&A video expressing the performers’ excitement while finding out about some themes indicated. We also embedded a small preview of Isaac playing one of his songs. This resulted in an increase in account followers, and additionally we tagged the featured musician’s accounts, increasing event engagement. Despite our efforts spent planning and marketing the event online, quite a low percentage of people accessed the website ticket page even when an early bird ticket sale option of £5.50 was offered. Reflecting on this, next time, I would create online posts considerably sooner with more sneak preview posts and producing more shared content. This will generate a bigger buzz around the event and allow for a longer run up time of event promotion circulation. Perhaps another engagement generator could be achieved through a free ticket giveaway, and other interactive selling points including a raffle for charity.

Promotion:

After liaising with the conservatoire staff, we decided it would be appropriate to advertise the event in a communal space, with the hope that verbally expressing key points would be convenient supporting my role as a promoter. I enjoyed connecting with lecturers and students finding out their Instrumental specialisms and favourite genres, to see if these tied in with the event and what it could offer as a performance engagement experience, creating a unique selling point. To clearly advocate the main theme and details about the event, we produced paper copies of posters with QR codes. We contacted the student union about sharing the poster on digital screens. Although this was unable to be fulfilled, next time it will be appropriate to ask in advance about whether an event like ours can be shared on other conservatoire digital platforms. We ensured that planning in advance was consistent and with fitted around our timetables. In future, I believe it will be of interest to arrange with the musicians their availability to join us talking about the gig allowing people to hear different perspectives.

Health and safety:

The venue was clearly accessible for anybody with mobility requirements or disabilities; this included a big entrance door without steps. While visiting The Attic, we inspected the fire doors and exits for safety in case of an emergency, ensuring any hazards could be prevented. This was useful in allowing us to arrange support for transporting and loading heavy equipment. For future reference, it will be beneficial for me to be more efficient in helping to unbox and set up equipment, especially at the end of the evening before the venue closes. However, on this occasion this efficiency was hindered by my lack of information as to which boxes were for which Instruments and stands. The Attic’s in -house PA system was very effective ensuring a clear balance was heard between Instruments and vocals. This was crucial; making sure that the music wasn’t overpowering. In case of an emergency, sufficient fire extinguishers were placed nearby, and evacuation points were clearly signposted by the entrances and exists. The musicians were responsible for looking after their own instruments, while making sure that all portable appliances had up-to-date PAT tests. One of my fundamental reflections is being certain of who is the designated first aider on the night of the event and if there are any last-minute staffing changes. This will be reflected through details listed in the risk assessment outlining that up to five hundred people require at least two qualified first aiders.

Security:

Guests who pre-booked were asked to show proof of confirmation or their issued website barcode to check each one was genuine. As the Attic is a small venue, there were no staff members suitable to support, ID checks or issuing bag searches with permission and checking valid tickets. Originally, Joe contacted his friend to undertake these duties; however, he was unavailable, and this idea was not pursued further. Luckily, there was clear access to relevant CCTV footage if required, and a safe area to store cash.

Stage management:

Before the event, one of us was responsible for printing out and signing a declaration to be made visible to audience members. It explained that any filming was permitted for exam purposes only. However, this was not completed in time, due to having no access to a printer. It was soon rectified as the notice was written instead. This made me realise the importance of being more organised, as we could have been liable should an incident have occurred, such as venue or Instrument damage. An imperative role as promoters was making sure the musicians had clear access to signposted green rooms allowing personal belongings to be stored. Although it was unlocked, we were responsible for checking that everything was kept safe. For future events, it will be necessary to ensure a member of staff is available to assist.

Considering there was no designated stage manager, it was our role to make sure the musicians had all the necessary equipment. I realised the importance it takes to observe the high amount of talent seen, where it would be beneficial to speak between each act, giving thanks and acknowledgment along the way to the performers. Alongside providing a physical program ensuring accessibility that can be viewed on mobile phones, which include some head shots and musical facts about each performer and promoter involved. Additionally, in future – it will be beneficial to provide more hospitality, such as providing more water and light refreshments.

Financial outcomes:

The total profit made through 23 ticket sales was quite low with each artist only receiving £15 as opposed to our high expectations of £40 each. We planned for payment to cover performance time alongside rehearsal hours, as well as travel to and from the venue. Therefore, moving forward, I would like to gain more guidance and experience around ticket sales and how a clear financial balance can be met, ensuring no profits and musician fees are lost from the venue higher and PRS fee.

To conclude, promoting ‘Smoother Sounds’ has been successful in allowing me to share my enjoyment of music with others. One key observation I made is that with societal changes and how we access entertainment, it is always worth investigating a range of options to promote ticket sales across several social media platforms. Online marketing is on the rise, and effective post planning plays a key role in increasing audience engagement.